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This single-crust cream cheese pie dough is tender, soft, and easy to work with. The cream cheese adds just enough richness to make the pastry flavorful without being fussy, and it rolls out smoothly for both standard and deep-dish pies.
It’s perfect for pies that need just one crust, and it also works well for blind baking. I’ve included simple instructions for partially or fully baking the pastry when you’re preparing a pie that doesn’t require a top crust.
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Soft and tender. Cream cheese gives the pastry great flavor and a delicate texture.
Easy to make. Comes together quickly with basic pantry ingredients.
Versatile. Works for blind-baked pies, cream pies, and custard-based fillings.
Scalable. Double the recipe easily when you need a 2-crust pie.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for the best flavor. Let it soften slightly so it blends easily.
- Cream cheese: Adds richness and helps the dough stay tender.
- Heavy cream: Helps moisten the dough and brings it together.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure; add extra only as needed for rolling.
- Sugar: A small amount adds balance, even for neutral or savory fillings.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the pastry.
Steps to Make Cream Cheese Pie Crust
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add the cream and continue mixing until well blended.
- Add the flour, sugar, and salt, mixing just until the dough holds together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board, gather it into a ball, and shape it into a disk.
- Wrap the dough and chill until firm enough to roll.
- Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle and fit it into the pie plate.
- Fill and bake according to your pie recipe.
Tips
- Chill the dough long enough to keep it easy to roll and shape.
- Use light, even pressure when rolling to help maintain a round shape.
- Flour the board and rolling pin well to prevent sticking.
- Patch small cracks with scraps of dough rather than overworking the crust.
Recipe Variations
- Sweet version. Add an extra teaspoon of sugar for dessert pies.
- Savory version. Reduce or omit the sugar and use for quiche or vegetable pies.
- Citrus twist. Add a bit of finely grated lemon or orange zest for fruit pies.
- Nutty crust. Mix in a tablespoon of finely ground pecans or almonds for extra flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- Use for cream pies like banana, coconut, or chocolate.
- Bake for custard-based pies that require blind baking.
- Try it with fresh fruit fillings once the crust is fully baked and cooled.
- Pair with lighter fillings—the soft crust complements creamy textures well.
How to Store
Refrigerate: Wrap the dough disk tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Freeze: Freeze the wrapped dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
After baking: Store the baked crust at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for several days, depending on the filling.
How To Blind Bake a Pie Crust
- To blind bake the crust, heat the oven to 400 F. Line the prepared pie crust with a 15-inch sheet of parchment paper or foil (leave some overhang so it will be easy to remove the weights later) and fill the pie with pie weights or dry beans. The weights will keep the pie shell from bubbling up as it bakes without a filling.
- Bake the pie with the weights for about 15 minutes and then remove the pie weights and paper or foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F.
- For a partially baked pie, bake for about 8 minutes longer, or until just lightly browned. For a fully baked pie crust, bake it for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cream Cheese Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, 3 ounces, room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 5 3/4 ounces, plus more for rolling
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and the cream cheese until well blended. Add the cream and beat until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed just until the dough holds together. If necessary, add extra cream or milk to moisten.
- Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Gather into a ball and shape it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Roll the chilled dough out on a floured board to a diameter of about 11 inches, or about 2 inches larger than your pie plate.
- Fill the crust and bake following your pie recipe.
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
